Arlington, Va.— NEMA Director of Government Relations Peter Ferrell today issued the following statement in response to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) release of potential National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETC) and the opening of a 45-day public comment period on the potential NIETCs.

“NEMA is pleased to see DOE’s initial NIETC list includes the use of utility and highway rights-of-way to expedite transmission development. Rights-of-way allow developers to use previously disturbed brownfields which have already undergone environmental assessments and issued impact statements, shaving months or years off the permitting process. NEMA encourages DOE to go further and include other rights-of-way corridors in its designations, including railroads, for the greatest impact. Nonetheless, this is a positive step from DOE to increase capacity between interconnections and further electrification efforts in the U.S.

“As we emphasized in comments through the Rail Electrification Council to DOE last year, NEMA supports processes that responsibly accelerate transmission development through improved permitting. These potential NIETCs will advance transmission projects and their societal benefits by providing developers with greater procedural certainty, particularly through FERC’s backstop citing authority. We look forward to working with DOE and the Grid Deployment Office to further strengthen and build a resilient, secure grid that delivers an electrified future for all Americans.”